Bamby P50

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

Not taken delivery yet as not had its MSVA. However, just been into my garage to look at my ape 50 which has its wiper pivoted centrally on the screen and parks in a similar way. That is not a problem to me as I would have remembered its configuration. So maybe it will not offend. However, as Bob says - could always mount a bubblecar type motor in corner (in existing hole) if it is a problem.

[richard]

Well I really don't see why you should have to immediately modify a newbuild so I am sure it's just fine as it is

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

Alan Evans has built a few P50s now and I think that you will find that not 2 of them are alike in every detail. I guess he changes suppliers regularly and uses different components as others become obsolete. The arrangement of the wiper on my model is dictated by the selected wiper motor. The last P50 alan built used a different wiper motor and has a more aesthetically pleasing result with wiper and arm (car shown below). My P50 is the first with this arrangement with wiper and arm that he has built.

Alan's last P50 build below & my wiper motor.

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

Just a quick update. The car is booked in for its VOSA test next saturday morning> I made Alan a visit this week to give the car a look over - couldn't resist a drive in the garden (links to videos:- https://youtu.be/huLL33nyR2A  http://youtu.be/Kr06wbKp8Aw). The car is undergoing tweaks to maximise its chances of passing the test (note the mirrors have changed - I prefer these ones).

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

Looks like a really nice piece of work. Thanks for linking the videos

[Big Al]

Alan Evans has built a few P50s now and I think that you will find that not 2 of them are alike in every detail. I guess he changes suppliers regularly and uses different components as others become obsolete. The arrangement of the wiper on my model is dictated by the selected wiper motor. The last P50 alan built used a different wiper motor and has a more aesthetically pleasing result with wiper and arm (car shown below). My P50 is the first with this arrangement with wiper and arm that he has built.

Alan's last P50 build below & my wiper motor.

The ones he had, which were the same as I fitted to cheaper Messerschmitts, he backed, as they failed to work on the cars he made. Never got to the bottom of that, but he did not buy from me. I found them a very good and economic unit, which looked much like an original SWF or Bosch period switched motor. Therefore clearly some development of parts bought in was integral with production.

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

Whilst visiting Alan Evans last week he said that he was considering remanufacturing his original Bamby with more uptodate components - not sure how serious he was on this issue as it never developed into further conversation. Below is one of the 2 Bambys he owns (an early one with single headlight and gullwing door) which was stowed away under a lean-to adjoining his workshop.

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

The P50 passed it MSVA test yesterday - I have now taken possession of the car and all that remains is to get it registered.

Alan Evan has confirmed that he intends to build a limited number of re-engineered Bambys - they shall be re-jigged to accommodate taller people and powered by a modern scooter engine.

[richard]

Great news all round ! Well done and have fun , look forward to seeing them around 

[Big Al]

Mmm. Might be time to cash in my Bamby then. Just as they were going up rather nicely. Mind you since he made the original I cannot really grumble or call the new ones fakes, can I? Continuation models are all the rage. Now where was that bit of paper with the sunroof Goggo T400 details?

[Peel replica, Steve Fisk]

Well done mate !

[plas man]

congrat's all round - and no silly little flags like the Sinclair's 

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

Definitely no flags but maybe a sail to help push me along.

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

Sent off the paperwork well over a week ago for the registering of P50 - so just a waiting game now.

I have been busy making a few improvements here and there, some of which are going to be welcome additions such as a fuel gauge sender fitted to the small 3.5L fuel tank with fuel gauge to the instrument panel and a volt meter giving a constant indication of charge and battery condition (useful when the battery is not much bigger than my empty wallet and the charge rate is like the interest rate of my savings account). I shall take some photos over the weekend of my efforts. Other improvements planned include getting some rubber between the frame and the engine mounts to dampen the vibration and drumming (be it a minimal improvement - any improvement in this department is welcome). There seams to be rattles coming from every direction - so intend on investigating with a view to rectify as many as possible (a couple I know to be the head light switch (needs a better quality replacement) and the door catch (needs the play taken out of the door).

The improvement list shall be a developing and changing over several months (once driven on the road I shall have a better idea of what I want to achieve).

Decided the wiper motor shall stay and think the extra coverage with the blade over the viewing area of the screen is an asset.

[1bubble10 (paul smith)]

I have had a few problems fitting a fuel gauge sender. I bought a kit off ebay (includes the gauge as well as the sender). It was the only sender I could find that I thought a may have a chance of getting to fit the diminutive sized fuel tank (70mm width and 144mm depth approx externally). The sender unit is an adjustable one for depths between 150-600mm. I had to take a hacksaw and grinder to the sender frame so that it did not project out of the top of the tank. Cutting the hole in the top of the tank was easy enough using a plumbers hole cutter as was the drilling of holes for the fixing screws. The instructions provided recommended tapping threads into the newly drilled holes but I had visions of stripped threads whilst trying to get the plate to seal. There was a steel securing ring provided with holes already tapped but with an internal diameter about the same as that cut into the tank there was no way of getting it in with any amount of notching of the ring. However, not to be put off by that I cut the ring in half and with a few blobs of araldite I secure the 2 halves of ring within the tank body.

Then the fun started. I could not get the sender orientated to any position where the float did not hit either side of the tank within it travel (causing it to stick). Again not to be beaten I removed the float Put it in the vice length ways and heated one end until soft and wound the vice in to cause the softened end to collapse inwards and left in the vice until it had hardened again. I then left the float submerged in petrol for three days to ensure it did not take any petrol in. In the meantime did some temporary wiring to check all is well to discover the gauge was a duffer - so ordered another kit of the same. Arrived the next day checked it worked and ready to go. Today I shall do the final assembly and hope that I don't get any more issues with the float and the tank walls.

As a part of this mod I decided to fit a fuel tank filler neck seal as all that had been fitted was some self adhesive foam around the filler neck which for sure would not have been weather tight. I had to increase the size of the already cut hole within the fibre glass body which was an easy task with an air grinder once I had determined the size, shape and position of the hole required.

Pictures below show the hole in the top of the fuel tank with some screws holding in the 2 halves of the ring whilst the araldite cures and the new filler neck seal.